Zionist Discrimination Beyond Palestine

Israel and the racist ideology of Zionism on which it was founded and continues to operate on till this day, has created a system of first class and second class citizens as well as non-citizens in historic Palestine. The implications of this discriminatory system, however, extend far beyond Palestine and bleeds into much of the Middle East.

In light of the ongoing Arab Awakening throughout the Middle East, the limitations on the rights of the non-Jewish populations outside of Israel become obvious. Concern for maintaining Israel’s hegemony over the region is dressed up as a desire for ‘stability’. Stability, as western power elites refer to it, means nothing more than maintaining Israel’s military, technological and economic superiority over its neighbors.

Taking the example of the Egyptian revolution, the discussion in the mainstream media is often 2 pronged. The immediate concern is ‘What will become of Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel?’ Virtually no mind is paid to the fact that this ‘peace treaty’ was forced upon the Egyptian people against their will. Moreover, the treaty disproportionately limits Egyptian sovereignty over its own territory and is overwhelmingly in Israel’s favor. Western powers often seen boasting of their love for democracy and desire to see a democratic Middle East are suspiciously negligent of the undemocratic means by which this ‘peace treaty’ came about. But, of course, it brought stability to the region, making Israel and it’s allies (the only parties whose input counts) happy.

Second, there is a huge scare over the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. In a democratic society where it’s one-person one vote, the citizenry has the right to select whomever they please to lead them. Of course, this includes the right to voice dissent and to also decide whom the populace does not want to lead them. Many of the arguments against the Muslim Brotherhood are valid and resonate with many Egyptians. However, this rhetoric becomes dangerous and undemocratic when it comes from outside Egypt. From individuals who are not members of Egypt’s citizenry and therefore have no say in who should lead Egypt. Many times we find this ‘concern’ oversteps its boundaries and transforms into dictating to the Egyptian public who they should or shouldn’t vote for. Furthermore, much of the ruckus surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood is not regarding how they would treat the Egyptian people, but rather how they will view and interact with Israel. “Will the Muslim Brotherhood view Israel as an enemy? Will they go to war with Israel? Will they remove the Israeli Embassy in Egypt?” These are the questions that boggle the mind of the international community as Egyptians continue their revolution for freedom and dignity.

In a true democracy the views of the people are respected. The government elected by the people strives to represent their constituency to the best of their abilities. Or at the very least, the society is structured on a vision of such a system. It is no ones place to tell the people how to vote or what to support. But this has never been the case in the Middle East.

Arab regimes have worked to silence dissent amongst the masses and, to a large extent until recently, have succeeded in building an obedient society. The main beneficiary of such oppression is Israel, a state founded on the destruction of Palestine and the continued oppression of the Palestinian people for the entirety of its existence. Israel has been able to do so with much credit due to the cover it receives from these Arab regimes. Hosni Mubarak is a prime example of an Arab leader who went against the wishes of his people and worked to fulfill the desires of the Zionist state.

It is vital to recognize that much of the friction the Arab Awakening is facing today is a result of the hierarchy in the Middle East introduced by the ideology of Zionism. Arabs can’t have fair representation, because they may not be aligned with the Zionist agenda. God forbid the Arab people experience freedom or else Israel’s blank check of oppression might bounce.

The Arab people have proven themselves to be true believers in the principles of democracy. Millions of Arab men, women and children have put their lives on the line and paid the ultimate price in the pursuit of a free and democratic society. For us in the western world, we often take living in a democracy for granted. All it takes it a brief glance at the Arab world to see what democracy is really worth.